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Recent Pictures: |
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Rick Parent and Tom Slusher - 2024
Don Kloepfel and Don Kunego - 2018
Stan Lukasik and Ed Martin - 2013
Roy Bruk and Harry Field - 1967 |
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Fort Bragg Events |
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Memorial Stone Unveiling at U.S. Army Spec Opns Plaza
Joint Ceremony and Reunion - 2nd CA w/ 41st and 29th CA |
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92nd Civil Affairs Battalion (ABN) ACTIVATION Ceremony
Pictures from Fort Bragg
HHC 92nd CA is 'Lineage Successor' to the 2nd CA
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The 2016 Reunion and the Memorial Stone Unveiling
at the U.S. Army's Special Operations Memorial Plaza, Fort Bragg, NC.
for the 2nd Civil Affairs Company (III and IV CTZ)
with the 41st Civil Affairs Company (II-CTZ)
and the 29th Civil Affairs Company (I-CTZ) |
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Chris Phoenix and Joe Napp
but
Tom Slusher has his hand on Chris - Hey Chris, remember me ? |
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Don Kunego (C) getting Two Old Friend Together
Tom Slusher (L) and Chris Phoenix (R)
Together Again, After 50 Years ! |
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Rick Parent, Chris Phoenix, Tom Slusher and Bill Unger |
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Reunion Host - Brigadier General E. John Deedrick
then Deputy Command General, U.S. Army's 1st Special Forces.
Doing a Reconnaissance of the Area before the beginning of the Official Ceremony
Gary Faith (Ex-LT 41st CA - with White Hat is at least 6'-4" but General Deedrick is a bit taller ! |
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BG E. 'John' Deedrick retired as a LT GEN (3 Star - Lieutenant General) in 2023 |
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Brigadier General E. 'John' Deedrick, Host of the Memorial Stone Unveiling Ceremony
partially hidden at right but bending over to help Unveil the Memorial Stone |
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Host of the Memorial Stone Unveiling Ceremony
Brigadier General E. 'John' Deedrick
Deputy Commanding General, 1st Special Forces
(In BDU {Battle Dress Uniform} - aka Commo Fatigues with Green Beret) |
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WELCOME HOME
and
THANK YOU
Official Recognition after 50 Years.
Some of us came home to Unfriendly Family, Friends and Neighbors.
Our Service is now Memorialized in Stone.
Our little understood and unrecognized special CA work
in the many extremely remote locations in a far away country.
Our fellow Americans now belatedly acknowledged our field work via the
U.S. Army Special Operations Command, Fort Bragg, N.C.
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Wreathing Laying Event
In the background,
Members of 92nd Civil Affairs Battalion (Abn)
Lineage Successor to the 2nd Civil Affairs Company
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The 2nd CA GUYs at the Memorial Stone
U.S. Army Special Operations Command Memorial Plaza
Fort Bragg, N.C.
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The Commemorative Stone for The Civil Affairs Companies - Vietnam
was placed in the Green Grass at the right
closest to the Bronze Bruce Statue
in picture above |
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Joe Napp and Don Kloepfel
Combat Medic Don Kloepfel served 3 Years in 2CA from 1966-1969
Don's Third Year with 2CA's 11th Platoon attached to MAC-V Team 19 at DMZ area - Dong Ha
when the NVA Regiments attacked a U.S.M.C. Battalion. "LT, please do not ask ! "
All of Don's Service Records were lost in the 1973 Saint Louis Records Center Fire.
But Don Kunego had copies of their Second Increment Deployment Order,
Joe Napp had copies of the 2CA multi-year Day-by-Day 2CA Diary.
Don Kloepfel NOW gets his Meds from the VA and a got few Dollars too.
Don 'Paid Off' the Mortugage, bought a used Harley Hog,
and had few pennies left for Valerie and Don to get to Fort Bragg from Spokane, WA. |
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Wives and the Guys |
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Link to pictures from David Gunn - Ex 41st CA |
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If you have personal pictures,
please forward them to Joe Napp
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Father Phil Denig, U.S. Army Chaplain (Ret - 1964 // 2002)
reconnecting with
1SGT Shawn Miller
who was our 2011 First Reunion Escort Guide
Former SF Medical SFC is now 1SGT in a 92nd CA Company
Firm Hand Shake and Great Smile |
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The 2011 Reunion of the 2nd Civil Affairs Company
and the
Activation Ceremony of the 92nd Civil Affairs Battalion (Airborne)
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The Memorial Wall at the Headquarters Building
of the
U.S. Army Special Operations Command
Fort Bragg, N.C.
immediately adjacent to the Meadows Field Parade Ground
used for the
Activation Ceremony of the 92nd Civil Affairs Battalion (Airborne)
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The Official Activation Ceremony
started with a U.S. Army Band Playing the National Anthem
and then the Activation Order was read
which included a proclamation that
Headquarters & Headquarters Company of the 92nd Civil Affairs Battalion
was the
Lineage Successor
of the
2nd Civil Affairs Company.
Then the
Flag of the 92nd Civil Affairs Battalion was uncased by
Colonel James 'Jay' Wolff
95th Civil Affairs Brigade Commander
who then unfurled the
Five Unit Citations and the 12 Campaign Streamers
earned by the 2nd Civil Affairs Company for our service in Vietnam
with the assistance of
the Commanding Officer and the Command Sergeant Major
of the 92nd Civil Affairs Battalion (Airborne).
LTC Brian Ebert holding the Battalion Flag Staff at the left and
CSM James Cassel holding the Battalion Flag at the right.
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Colonel Wolff of the 95th Civil Affairs Brigade (A)
with
LTC Ebert and CSM Cassel,
The Honor Guard,
The Members of HHC, Company A, Company B, Company C and Company D
92nd Civil Affairs Battalion (A)
Reporting for Duty
to the
Commanding General of the U.S. Army Special Operations Command.
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The Presentation of the 'Passing the Torch' Monument
chiseling in stone
the Lineal Heritage between
the 2nd Civil Affairs Company and the 92nd Civil Affair Battalion (Airborne)
LTC Brian Ebert and CSM James Cassel
Pat Garrity and Joe Napp
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Hats Off - Photo
( L - R )
Standing Back Rows: Ed Martin, John Smythe, Don Kunego, Joe Napp
Ed Thompson, Richard Graham (partially hidden), Wayne Lewis, Kevin Smith,
Gary Steinhardt, Joe Frankoski and Ron Gorman
Standing Front Row: Pat Garrity, Bob Geib, Bob Gruen, Chuck Stielau, Ozzie Kinat
John Martin, Phil Denig, Tom Hequet and Bruce Tilford
Kneeling: David Arkovich and Dennis Finley
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Hats On - Photo |
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Phil Denig and Ron Gorman |
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The 1966 Fort Gordon Guys
Joe Napp, Ron Gorman, Pat Garrity, Joe Frankoski and Phil Denig
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Members of the 12th AA Platoon
Dennis Finley, Bob Geib, John Martin, Tom Hequet, Bruce Tilford, Wayne Lewis |
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Joe Napp, Bob Gruen and Richard Graham
at the
Special Warfare Memorial Statue
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Major Patricia Peterson
Operations Officer, Company A, 92nd Civil Affairs Battalion (Airborne)
Corps of Engineers, Airborne Badge, Sapper Badge, and Fluent Russian Linguist,
just our typical All-American Daughter.
She jogged over and said
Hi Guys,
I was born in Ban Me Thout, Vietnam in 1968.
Can I get into a picture ?
She turned around with a big smile and a big wave
" Thanks Guys "
and she jogged away as quickly as she came.
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The Special Warfare Memorial Statue
also known as
the "Green Beret Soldier" or the "Bronze Bruce" Monument.
It is next to the
The Meadows Parade Grounds
which was used for the 92nd Activation Ceremony
and it was named for
Special Forces Captain Richard J. 'Dick' Meadows.
He was the On-the-Ground Leader of The Blueboy Team
which was the 14 man air-assault and POW liberation team that
made a long range, deep penetration raid into North Vietnam
on 21 November 1970
in an attempt to liberate POWs at the Son Tay Prison Camp.
The Planned Helicopter Crash and subsequent Air Assault were successful
and did achieve tactical surprise and entry into the POW prison cell areas.
But the POWs were NOT in the Son Tay Prison Camp and
had been moved weeks earlier by the NVA because of local flooding.
All of the Son Tay Raiders returned alive
but they were disappointed that the POWs were not in the Son Tay POW Compound
which was a major intelligence failure.
The Son Tay Raiders were volunteers from the U.S.A. based 6th Special Forces Group
who planned and rehearsed the mission in the USA to insure operational secrecy.
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Reunion Interview |
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When the 2nd Civil Affairs Company was inactivated in Vietnam
" The BELL " in the 2nd Civil Affairs Officers Club
was brought home from Vietnam
by LTC Robert W. Gruen
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Jane and Bob Gruen kept it their family room for forty years
then an unforeseen special occasion arose,
the Activation of the 92nd Civil Affairs Battalion.
Old Tradition,
when New Men Reported Into the 2nd Civil Affairs Company
" They Rang the Bell "
Hopefully, the 92nd will continue the tradition.
John Martin (67-68) spent many hours polishing " The BELL "
and then he mounted a plaque
2nd CIVIL AFFAIRS COMPANY
VIETNAM
1966 - 1971
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" The BELL "
from the
2nd Civil Affairs Officers Club in Vietnam
was presented by
Robert W. Gruen (R) - the Last Commanding Officer of the 2nd Civil Affairs Company
to
LTC Brian Ebert (L) - the First Commanding Officer of the 92nd Civil Affairs Battalion
at the
Friday Afternoon Picnic at the 92nd CA Battalion Motor Pool
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Kevin Smith
having a 'look-see' at the 92nd's new Armored Humvee
with GPS and a .50 Cal on Roof.
A far cry from our M-151 Jeeps.
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And with the GPS, the Special Operations Center at Fort Bragg
knows exactly where every friendly vehicle is worldwide
and it is
updated every THREE MINUTES !
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P.S.
An inside joke for the Mail Man,
if they had GPS back then, they would have known
'where you were' and even her name !
Please Smile !
And you did smile often after returning from the Daily Mail Runs
and the many 'wash and service jobs' at the local Car Wash.
Certainly, the most serviced 3/4 Ton Truck in RVN. |
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Reunion Planner John Martin
opened the
Friday Evening Reunion Dinner
with the words that we did not hear 44 years ago.
WELCOME HOME !
Well Spoken and Well Received by all.
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The Reunion Dinner |
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SKY DIVING on Saturday Morning
Tom Hequet and Chuck Stielau had a great time Skydiving with John Martin
on the Saturday after the Reunion.
John Martin jumped 14 times with ARVN units in Vietnam.
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Together Back Then
and
Together Again
x |
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Tom Slusher (L) and Rick Parent (R)
A Personal Reunion in Florida in 2024
Note the 2nd CA Cloth Patches. |
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Rick Parent (L) and Tom Slusher (R) in 1967.
The 10the Platoon Jeep lost its battle when a 4th Infantry Division M113 Armored Personal Carrier
'Tracks' hit the Floor of the Jeep just forward of the passenger seat.
Certainly, some 'Trousers, Tropical Worstered' (aka Jungle Fatigues)
were surely brown stained during the collision.
The Jeep was 'mortally wounded' but the 2CA Troopers were safe
and possibly created a few new pre-mature 'gray hairs'.
The Jeep ultimately became an 'organ doner'. |
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Medic Don Kloepfel (1966-69) and CA-ENG Don Kunego (1966-68)
Served Together Back Then
with the 11th AA Platoon with the 11th Cavalry Regiment at Xuan Loc
and were Together Again at Niagara Falls in 2018
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It was short drive thru the neighborhood (USA) for
The Kloepfels from Washington State
to visit
The Kunegos from New York State
at nearby Niagara Falls
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Years Ago, the U.S. Army 'lost' Don Kloepfel's Service Records
and the St. Louis Records Center said 'he did not serve'
BUT
Don Kunego had THEIR joint roster Second Increment Deployment Orders
and now
The Doc 'Bac Si' Don Kloepfel gets his Meds !
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Except for Basic Training and Advanced Individual Training (AIT)
Don Kloepfel served 3 Years in the 2nd CA
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After the 2011 Reunion at Fort Bragg,
which some 12th Platoon Members could not attend,
so they were visited by Friends on the way home !
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George Scott (1967-68)
with
Bruce Tilford and Bob Geib
12th AA Platoon with the 173rd Airborne Brigade
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Alton Bush (1966-67)
with
John Martin and Bruce Tilford
12th AA Platoon with the 173rd Airborne Brigade
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They definitely did not take " The Short Cut " on their way home to
Texas, Minnesota and Oregon
with stops in North Jersey and Upstate New York |
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I am glad they had their GPS working
because they certainly failed
the U.S. Army's Map Reading and Compass Courses
because
the "Shortest Distance" between two points is a Straight Line.
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Lousy navigators but GREAT FRIENDS !
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Jerry Ritter and Joe Napp
17 Nov 2011
Not much better with the 'Compass Course'
The 'Shortest Route' from Texas to New Jersey
does not run through the Ritter House in Pearl, Mississippi.
Jerry Ritter has been super helpful with all types of information for the website.
Sometimes, you need to meet face to face and say THANK YOU.
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Getting Together again after many years
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Stan Lukasik (L) 1966-1969 and Ed Martin (R) 1967-68
September 2013 at Stan's House in Buffalo, N.Y.
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TOGETHER AGAIN
Roy Bruk (L) and Harry Field (R) went through OCS - together,
then they went through QMC Officers Basic and Civil Affairs School - together,
then were assigned to the 2nd CA - together,
and now Together Again - after 46 Years
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Lisa and Roy Bruk with Linda and Harry Field
Summer of 2013
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Dwight Young (R) stopped by in NJ and visited with Joe Napp (L)
We met on 13 Sep 2011 for the first time since we served together
at Fort Gordon in 1966 and RVN in 1967
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Kevin Smith, David Arkovich and Robert Mullen
served together in 1970 with the 4th Platoon at Tan An
and they meet for the first time after forty years
in Boston, Massachusetts on 21 July 2011
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Don Kunego and Joe Napp
served in the Company in 1967 and meet at
Basil T's Restaurant in Red Bank, NJ - the Day After Thanksgiving 2010
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Bob Geib and John Martin
served together in 1967 and 1968 in the 12th AA Platoon with 173rd Airborne
and got together recently in Minnesota
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John Martin and Tom Hequet
served together in 1967 and 1968 in the 12th AA Platoon with 173rd Airborne
and got together recently in Nevada
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Pat and Judy Garrity with Cindy and John Martin
The 2009 Get Together for the 12th AA Platoon (173rd Airborne)
Pat and John have gotten together several times since serving together 42 years ago !
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Bill Unger, Phil Denig, Joe Napp
Basil T's - Dover Twp, NJ
November, 2008
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Joe Napp and Phil Denig (Retired Military Chaplain - Catholic Priest)
Pilot House - Jersey Shore
June 29, 2008 |
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The 1982 New York City Reunion
Some 2nd CA Lieuteanants (1966-68) met at the Essex House Hotel
while other joined in via a Long Distance Conference Call |
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Pat Garrity, Joe Napp, John Martin
Dennis Santillo attended the reunion but is not in a surviving picture.
Essex House Hotel - New York City
May 1982
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Ron Schneider, Jim Weiskopf and Joe Napp
( L - R )
On the conference phone with Ron
were
Gary Cusumano in California,
Charles Hooks in South Carolina,
Hal Lynch in Texas,
Ralph Polce in Florida
and others now not remembered.
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Dennis Santillo attended the reunion but is not in a surviving picture.
perhaps he was the photographer.
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Essex House Hotel - New York City
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The 2013 Reunion of the 173rd Airborne Brigade at Las Vegas
Some of the Members of the 12th AA Platoon of the 2nd CA (1967-68)
Reconnected with their S-5 Counterparts from 173rd Airborne Brigade
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John Martin, Tom Hequet, Steve Konek (173), Bob Geib, Mike Lambrano (173), Bruce Tllford
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Replica Unit Patch
Better Quality than the original
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Scan of Shirt Embroidery
Sorry the Scanner Color is not true to life - Civil Affairs Purple
but the Shirt is very well made in 2nd CA Guidon's Color - Purple
Check Reunion Photos above for true color
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Shirts, Hats and Patch are available from
JOHN MARTIN
His Phone Number and E-Mail are on our
Members Only Contact List
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